Archive for September, 2020

Miami Copywriter

How Do You Measure Your Return on Investment with a Copywriter?

A copywriter is a cheerleader, content/copy generator and a fellow human being. Of all these things, being a mind reader is rarely included. When you decide to hire a copywriter in any capacity, you must be clear what you want from them. 

Decide what you want your results to be. Here are a few examples of marketing goals you may want to set: 

SEO

Topping SERP can be a great goal with the right time frame. Much like physics, for every piece of SEO knowledge acquired, you realize how little you actually know. Black hat techniques get you the results you desire. They can also get you banned from Google. 

Slow and steady SEO with white hat tactics includes effective keyword research and conversational blog content. It takes time to gain approval from the crawlers and build up your backlinks. Don’t set up a goal that would require a hacker to achieve. 

A practical goal is to increase engagement and provide value via your blog content. While you don’t want to be on the second page of Google (supposedly where all the well-hidden bodies are) making the front page after a certain period might be attainable. 

Funnels

Getting a client to open an email is a victory in itself. When they actually convert, it seems like a miracle no matter which industry you are in. I recently wrote an abandonment campaign that had the best conversion of any series in the history of the company. It took a bit of in-depth research to understand the needs of the audience and the secrets of higher deliverability. 

<Insert snip> 

My initial goal was to set a record and understand deliverability. I am happy to say it was achieved. 

Press releases

The main goal of a press release is to boost company visibility via traditional means. Small businesses need to consider implementing press releases to gain consumer mindshare. This can be done by understanding that these communications are part of a long-term strategy. 

Press releases are a great way to announce new products and services while demonstrating why clients need you. Opt for your new copywriter to generate at least one press release a month to gain and maintain visibility. 

SMS

Short. Personalized. Valuable. Getting a text at the right time with effective microcopy converts. Mobile marketing is essential to boost brand awareness, engagement and sales. This type of marketing usually requires an opt-in, so clients will want to know about flash sales and event-related promotions. 

You can offer Black Friday deals to maximize sales to a select group of clients. How mobile marketing differs from email marketing is in the results. An email must be deliverable and immediately stand out in a crowded inbox. 

Most texts are read within three minutes of being received and almost half of recipients respond. Use a copywriter to try out the hottest form of marketing to get results. Include SMS in every campaign strategy and track results. 

You may just find yourself preferring SMS over email once you start using them. 

Editorial calendars

A common mistake with social media is doing everything on the fly in the hopes of coming across as authentic. This hardly ever works. You need a copywriter to plan out your messages to the world. Have them research your target audience and give them the space to be creative. 

You can track results through engagement and conversions. 

Web content

Traffic is the easiest way to gauge web content results. A skilled copywriter optimizes any webpage. Measure your results through traffic first and engagement second. Just like on a social post, comments are seen as valuable by the crawlers. 

Landing pages

When you have a sale or a new product, a landing page is a must. The right copywriter optimizes it with the best keywords and makes it as conversational as possible. If it’s an e-commerce landing page or something related to sales, conversions are the best way to track your new copywriter’s results. 

Editing

A copywriter is not always an editor and vice versa. However, the best copywriters know enough about correct usage and syntax to know when something is off. Not having proper wording or punctuation makes your company look like a scam. 

The reason why the Prince of Nigeria emails are so awful is they are written poorly on purpose so only the most gullible believe them. People who understand proper English are much more discerning even if it is a deal that will supposedly change their life. 

If your budget allows, hire a copywriter and editor. If you can only hire a writer, give them enough turnaround time, at least the next day, so they can look at their copy with new eyes. 

How to find the right copywriter

Once you have enough steady work to welcome a copywriter to your team, the next, hardest step is finding the right one. 

There are plenty of people claiming to be copywriters. While every writer must start somewhere, you should hire someone with at least five years’ experience. 

What should I look for in a copywriter? 

• grit

• versatility

• personality

Just as a blind squirrel eventually scores a nut, a person can come up with a few good or great ideas in their lifetime. However, being able to do this every day for hours at a time requires the type of discipline that only comes with/from experience. 

Grit

If you decide to hire a rookie, make sure they have the grit to put in all the hours required and to take feedback well. The ability to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to what the client actually wants is immeasurable. 

Sometimes it’s hard to describe exactly what you want, especially when you don’t know copywriting standards yourself. Look for a copywriter who can effectively translate your needs into results-driven copy.

Writing six to eight hours a day is challenging when you don’t have enough experience. It can be challenging even when you do. Think of all the times you may have tried to write a social media post or attempted to crack the SEO crawler algorithm on top of all your other business responsibilities. Chances are, you gave up and looked for how to hire the right copywriter to handle everything. 

A rookie will most likely be Googling how to do things and find the correct lingo when generating your reports. Finding one is as easy as going to a job posting board or typing a hashtag into Instagram. 

Rookies usually charge no more than $15 an hour. Some are quite confident in their prices or try to ask for more once you are happy with their work. Set a fair price once you have reviewed their samples. 

When deciding to hire a rookie, understand that saving money may result in wasting time. 

When you go cheap, you run the risk of ruining your reputation and business. You may be able to find a novice copywriter who really will help your business. However, chances are they are still learning and may ghost you. 

You can measure your investment in the money you have saved with a rookie. However, keep in mind that they may not understand how to write for your target audience since they are so new. 

Versatility

Every copywriter must learn to pivot. This ranges from finding their lucrative niche and learning the seemingly unending SEO and social media algorithm updates to being able to sell their services on the fly. 

Controversial opinion: A versatile copywriter should have experience in every niche. 

Many copywriters do not agree on this point. Some feel that specialization makes them experts in their chosen field. When someone feels confident enough in their skills to call themselves an expert, they have stagnated. 

Copywriting is a tough business, so niching is safe. This sense of security makes for duller writing and a hesitation to be wrong, but you have to be wrong a few times in order to be right. 

The industries I have written for include:

spa

real estate

financial

telecommunications

self-improvement

home décor

marketing

business

restaurant

law

welding

pet

cosmetic

I have done: 

SEO

funnels

press releases

SMS

editorial calendars

web content

landing pages

editing

Chances are that you need someone who is comfortable with print and digital. Most writers will not have extensive experience in any industry but can learn enough through writing for a client. How much experience is not always as relevant as how much a business owner is willing to sit down and explain. 

Ask yourself how much time you are willing to invest in a rookie. 

Personality 

One of the biggest lessons I learned when I first started working with other copywriters is that you can either have the talent or the temperament. Rarely can a writer have both. An experienced writer understands that hardly anything is personal. Another writer may have a fit if they have received too much feedback. 

Make sure to have at least one phone conversation with whomever you hire. Try not to ask too many personal questions. Deadly global virus notwithstanding, most copywriters want to stay in their homes as much as possible.

As a business owner, establish a support system that allows you to focus on client relationships and cash flow. Having the right copywriter saves you time and money. Use the goals above to track the results you seek with an experienced copywriter that is perfect for your needs and business. 

When you are ready for the right copywriter, contact me at 786-208-0451 for a quick consult to see how we can work together and get you the results your business deserves.